A/N : Insert witty disclaimer here – I couldn't think of one, so enjoy another updated chapter instead.

To prevent confusion, I'll just add a little note to tell you that this chapter takes place on the same day as chapter 10.

As always, I look forward to hearing your thoughts and feelings, so don't be shy, review, PM, send smoke signals, whatever tickles your pickle, right I'm off to write the next bit

Chapter Eleven

Harry left the manor via the front door, he was certain Narcissa had altered the wards enough for him to apparate in and out as he pleased but felt the need for some fresh air. The small detail of Aurors were preparing for the arrival of the day shift, he went over and had a little chat with them, they were young, it seemed that this was being used as part of their training, he was confident they could do their job and it was nice to see his money wasn't being wasted.

They were surprised and flattered to be worthy of a small slice of Harry's time, he still hated all of the attention but over the years had learned to deal with it, most of the time it was mistaken for modesty, he was modest and that seemed to spur people on, with no end of heavy hands clapping him round the shoulder and sycophantic voices heaping praise upon him.

His lack of love for the spotlight didn't stop him having time for people, the Aurors were only doing their job, and were well paid for doing just that, Harry wanted to let them know that he was grateful, the gesture was met with mild mannered confusion, after all they didn't know the importance of this seemingly boring assignment.

Kingsley had never raised a single question to Harry about his desire to keep Narcissa safe or his insistence to continue funding the Auror presence himself, long after the budget had been reassigned, that was something else he was grateful for, Harry had nothing but respect for the Minister, he had restored wizarding Britain's faith in the Ministry and everything was dealt with in Kingley's own ' firm but fair' approach to leadership.

Walking purposefully to the imposing metal gates, the wind picked up a little, pushing him on and making his robes billow out behind him, he gathered them back around himself to keep warm, he caught the faintest whiff of Narcissa's perfume, smiling broadly at the path ahead, he walked until he passed through the wards and vanished with a faint pop.

The streets around the Ministry of Magic were almost deserted, he chose to use the visitor entrance just because he could, the last time he'd used it was during his fifth year. He picked up the receiver and dialed 6-2-4-4-2, a melodic voice talked him through the available options and once keyed in, the floor shuddered slowly down into the vast atrium.

He made his way through the hustle and bustle of the atrium, memos flew overhead and after walking past a Daily Prophet vendor yelling out the headlines he reached the bank of elevators, stepping into the first one to become available, a familiar drawling voice called for it to be held, reluctantly he thumped the button and a slightly flushed Draco entered panting slightly.

"Draco"

"Potter"

"Your mother sends her love"

"Go fuck yourself"

"I really hope you get your promotion, genuinely, because I cannot wait to verbally spar with you every day, I see no way in which I'll tire of that"

"Sarcasm Potter, is that the best you've got?" Draco's arrogant swagger was starting to return

"Hey, you started it, I was just passing on a message, I'm not expecting a miraculous friendship to blossom between us, after all I wouldn't want you to make it too easy for me, if that happened I would definitely have to call you on your bullshit, but there is no reason why we can't just be civil" the blonde man let out a derisive snort

The lift came to a halt and Harry stepped out, Draco obviously had somewhere else to be, before the lift could leave he held the door open.

"You better get the promotion, I don't particularly care for the other candidates, you are clearly better qualified, maybe then you'll believe me when I say I'm not helping to further your career, Cheer up Draco, it could be worse"

He smiled at the scowling man in the lift, the grate slid shut and the lift disappeared from sight, he decided that from now on he would no longer antagonise Draco, for Narcissa's sake.

He walked slowly down a well lit, busy corridor, he was forced to acknowledge many well wishers and was glad when he found himself outside the Minister's office, he knocked on the door and a deep booming voice called him inside.

"Morning Minister, what can I do for you?"

"Morning Potter, thanks for coming so quickly, I have good news, the Middle Eastern Wizarding Hierarchy have finally agreed to replace the time-turners we lost during your unscheduled visit to the Department of Mysteries" a slight smile flickered on the face of the usually stoic man.

Harry didn't realise at the time, but when the Golden Trio and their three friends destroyed all of the time-turners during his fifth year, it had created a serious international incident, the Middle Eastern Wizarding Hierarchy, whose sole job it was to protect the fabled sands of time, had flat out refused to give up any of the sand to make new ones, the negotiations had gone on and on ever since.

"What made them change their minds?"

"I did, they never trusted Fudge's regime or his promise that nothing like that would ever happen again"

"Very well done Minister" the imposing man smiled and inclined his head towards Harry in acknowledgement

Kingsley placed a large box on his desk between them, at first glance it looked like a sandstone block, on closer inspection however, Harry could see there are runes carved all over it, he reached out to pick it up, expecting it to be as heavy as it looked he put a bit of effort into collecting it, startled by it's weightlessness and almost creating a second serious international incident, he clutched it tightly against his chest and smiled nervously at Kingsley, who looked like he was about to have a major coronary event, apologising profusely, Harry assured him that they would make it safely to the vault of time with no further mishaps.

Backtracking to the lifts, the previously bustling corridors were empty and in no time he was walking down the corridors of his domain, stepping into the blue lit octagonal room he tightly shut his eyes as the chamber span to reach its destination, several memories rearranged themselves, it was a sensation he didn't think he'd ever become accustomed to. The room he now entered hadn't changed much since the break in, the glass cabinets, now repaired, stood empty, he placed the box on a heavily warded display stand and tapped it three times with his wand. Golden beams of light criss crossed around the box and display, eventually surrounding it with what looked like a fine gold mesh. He reached out his hand to touch the box, the was a bright light and a crackle of electricity, he groaned and picked himself up off the floor, satisfied that no one would be able to tamper with it, Harry limped back to his office.

He didn't think it had been that long since he was last in here, the pile of letters on his desk said otherwise, after a considerable amount of sorting he had a pile of department mail, interdepartmental memos, junk mail and a surprising amount of personal mail. Harry felt a little bit guilty for ignoring Hermione's owls, he was pleased that she hadn't resorted to sending him Howlers, all of the personal letters were from her.

He skimmed through them, they all followed a similar theme and eventually he reached the most recent, it had today's date on it, apparently she had a free day and with a 'no time like the present' attitude he grabbed a quill and parchment and scribbled a hasty reply.

"Kreacher?"

"Kreacher is here young master, how may I be of service?"

"Deliver this directly to Hermione, please"

"Kreacher will deliver it to the muggleborn"

The elf disappeared with a click of his long fingers before he saw the disapproving look on Harry's face, although muggleborn was a vast improvement over his usual diatribe. With the mail and memos dispersed and the junk filed safely away in the bin, Harry left his office, he did the rounds and designated a few tasks to his subordinates, feeling happy that things would tick over nicely in his absence he made his way back home.

Stepping back out into muggle London, the light was almost painfully bright after the Ministry's dimly lit interior, he walked at a leisurely pace and descended the stairs into the subway, his progress was slowed considerably by the zombie like shuffling of the commuters. To pass the time he idly glanced over at the various advertising hoardings, the posters followed a rigid pattern of musical, charity and business, he wondered what Narcissa would make of Cats or The Phantom of the Opera. Some time later he emerged south of the river, looking back he could see Parliament, feeling the first drops of the coming rain he apparated to the square outside his house and went inside.

"Is that you Potter?" the front door hadn't even clicked shut

"Yes Mrs Black"

"That muggle girl you insist on being acquainted with is here" he groaned quietly to himself

"I hope you tried to be nice"

"I was civil, you will be family soon enough, and that allows your friends a reprieve"

He could hardly believe that this was the same portrait who would scream expletives and slurs at every possible opportunity, Harry's efforts to restore some honour to the house of Black had obviously gone further than he ever could have hoped.

"Technically I'm family all ready" he ventured with a tiny amount of confusion

"I instructed her to wait for you in the living room, that was a few hours ago, Kreacher provided refreshments"

"Thank you, I'll talk to you later"

Slightly bemused at the conversation with his Godfather's mother he climbed the stairs and headed into the living room. Harry braced himself for an ambush that didn't happen, his best friend was curled up on the couch, a book lay discarded on the floor, her hands were limp but open as if still holding it, crossing the room, he reached out and shook her gently by the shoulder, her eyes flicked open.

"I had no idea you were here, you should have sent Kreacher to get me, I took the scenic route home"

She stood up and without warning began beating on his upper body in earnest.

"What the hell, Hermione, stop hitting me" he raised his hands in self defence

"I. Have. Been. Owling. You. For. Days. And. You. Ignored. Me" each slap punctuated each word

"I'm sorry, I've been busy" it sounded like a poor excuse but was enough to make the young woman stop her assault

"Apology accepted" he couldn't decide if he preferred the beating or the bone crushing hug

"I wasn't ignoring you, all my mail was sent to my office and I don't always remember to collect it"

While they made small talk Harry had the chance to have a proper look at his friend, she'd hardly changed, warm brown eyes, untameable hair, and a much more relaxed demeanour, she talked passionately about her students, her classes, her extra responsibilities as the Head of Gryffindor, typical that her working life was as hectic as her school life was. He felt honoured as she told him her free day was actually a requested holiday, which brought her neatly to a request for bed and board, with the aim of spending the weekend catching up, she'd also taken the liberty of inviting Ron, who unhelpfully told her that he'd be along if he could, it seemed like the Golden Trio could be united again for the first time in a long time.

Shaking his head at her presumptuousness, he was not annoyed in the slightest, in fact, it gave him a feeling similar to his imminent return to Hogwarts after having to suffer a holiday back with the Dursley's. Their eyes met, Hermione's face was a mask of worry, he assumed she feared overstepping the boundaries, unable to help himself he let out a snort of laughter, trying to suppress his mirth and failing, it fast became a full belly laugh, her worry slowly faded and a smile took its place and she grinned sheepishly at him.

"Well seeing as you are moving in and taking over, I'll show you what I've done with the place and show you to your room"

With that he led the way up to the top floor, walking down the landing he pointed out Kreacher's room before showing her the pristine bathroom, a far cry from the damp ridden mess it was during their few months here. He thought he may have to physically remove her from the room, she was looking at the immense bathtub with a deep longing.

Offering her full use of the facilities once she'd settled in was enough to get her moving, Harry threw open the next door, the very room he had used during Narcissa's first time sleeping over, since then it had been tastefully decorated, bright and neutral, perfect for any guests, Hermione was suitably impressed.

"Have you got everything you need?"

"My bag is down in the living room"

After all this time she was still using the little beaded bag with the undetectable extension charm, he couldn't help smiling at that.

"Can I see what you've done to the master bedroom, you can tell a lot about a person by looking at their personal space" she nudged him in the ribs with her elbow, he just sighed and rolled his eyes

"I suppose I can indulge your nosiness this once" she gave him a look of mock hurt

They walked a short way down the hall and Harry opened his door allowing Hermione to enter.

"What does my room say about me?"

"It says you are a Gryffindor, you're channelling your inner pure-blood, I have to confess I wasn't expecting you to be flying your house colours so boldly, Sirius would be proud but what is that?"

She marched into the room to get a better look at the bed, then turned her scrutinizing gaze to the drapes.

"I see, it all makes sense now, one question, did you decorate this room before or after things started with Narcissa?"

"After, I must stress that the room was fine, it just needed a little something"

"A little something to impress a pure-blood witch by the look of it, a lot of Gryffindor for him and a little Slytherin for her, you've got it so bad, it's actually quite sweet"

"Shut up and get out of my room" he stood to one side and pointed towards the hall, she skipped past him, giggling triumphantly "Have you seen her bedroom?"

"Yes"

"And what was that like?"

"I , um, can't remember, I was...distracted" Hermione wore a knowing smirk as Harry succumbed to bashfulness.

The pair made their way back to the second floor, instead of walking straight into the living room, Harry stopped suddenly by a closed door, Hermione looked at him questioningly.

"I want to show you something, I've not shown anyone before"

That wasn't strictly true, but Draco didn't count, Narcissa had given him the gift, she was allowed to see it, it felt right letting Hermione in on this, he loved her like a sister, she was as good as family in his view. He opened the door and they both stepped inside, the lamps burst into life.

"Harry, this is unbelievable, it's nothing like the one downstairs" he nodded at her as she walked around the room, taking it all in.

"Before you ask, Narcissa bought me this before anything happened between us"

"Speaking of Narcissa, I notice you are linked, very cosy" she traced the line with her finger

"Lets go back to the living room, I can tell you are dying to talk about how it happened"

Hermione sat back on the couch, Harry grabbed two butterbeers from the cabinet, popped open the top and handed a bottle to his friend, he sat down heavily in his chair and took a drink. Brown eyes watched him attentively, waiting patiently for him to start talking.

"What I didn't realise about this place, is that even though I am the recognised owner, it remains in the Black family, on a whim, and fed up of being alone in Malfoy manor, Narcissa came to visit her Aunt, and to see if there were any family items she could claim, what she didn't expect was to find me here."

Hermione listened to her friend speak, sipping occasionally from the bottle in her hands, she was much amused to hear he got caught naked in the hall, and congratulated him on his ability to make an impression, red faced he pressed on, he talked about how they took turns making each other dinner, and how it progressed from there. He touched upon the game nights, elaborated on things when questioned, until the events caught up with the present.

"I'm still appalled that you cheated on Ginny, and with her of all people, I wouldn't have thought you capable"

"I didn't plan it" he replied heatedly "I hadn't seen her for months, I can't even remember when we stopped writing, it became the norm, the Quidditch season would begin and she'd move back up to Wales, after that I wouldn't see or hear from her till the season ended, it's as much my fault as it is hers"

"I'm sorry Harry, I really don't want to lay guilt on you, I'm just so shocked"

A brief pause to take a drink, he relaxed his jaw, he couldn't blame her for feeling that way, like most people, she thought he and Ginny were destined to be together, and never in a million years would anyone have predicted these events.

"How did Ginny and the Weasley's take the break up?"

"Pretty well, Molly blamed herself for rushing us into it, I think Ginny was just relieved, after all I've lived through she just couldn't bring herself to end it"

A tension crept into the atmosphere, unwilling to let it settle, Hermione asked the question she'd been dying to know the answer to.

"Have you talked about what happened at the Manor?"

"A little" Harry shifted uncomfortably "We have an agreement to not dwell on the past, she just wanted to keep Draco safe, she had no idea what her sister was going to do, it was a selfish act that she regrets, but at the time, identifying us might have given her a certain immunity from Voldemort's unpleasantness"

Her face looked grim but her eyes conveyed a level of understanding, something he'd gotten used to during the time they spent travelling and destroying Horcruxes. Her expression softened and a smile formed on her lips, she had just the question to lighten the mood

"Speaking of her family, does Draco know about you two?" after a few moments of uncontrolled laughter, he regained enough breath to respond

"Oh yes, he caught us kissing in the Library, we duelled, it wasn't as exciting as it sounds, she asked me not to hurt him and Astoria made Draco back down, if you can believe that"

"She must mean a lot to you, the Harry I know would have just blundered in, it's nice to see you've finally grown up"

"Can I change my mind about you staying?" he grumbled

"No! You bloody well can't" she aimed a playful slap at him that he easily avoided

They finished their drinks and carefully placed the bottles on the table, for now the conversation was over, the silence comfortable, the brunette reached across and squeezed his hand.

"All that matters is that you're happy, no one can take that away from you"

"I am, I just hope Ron shares your way of thinking"

"It's still hard to swallow, I'm curious though, what is she like once you get past the icy, pure-blooded exterior?"

She almost wished she hadn't asked as Harry waxed lyrical about the woman in his life, Hermione had to admit that she had never seen him this animated, he exuded happiness, and it felt well deserved, when he eventually ran out of things to say, he took a breath.

"Do you know what I fancy?"

"You mean other than Narcissa Black?"

"Oh, that's very funny, really mature, I was thinking more along the lines of food, I want bacon and eggs, lets go to the kitchen and I'll make us a late lunch"

Hermione sat at the large table and Harry searched for a frying pan and some oil, soon the kitchen was filled with the sound of sizzling bacon. The door to the kitchen opened causing them both to turn toward the noise, a figure, ducking slightly to avoid hitting his head on the doorframe, stepped into the room. Harry and Hermione smiled broadly at the newcomer.

"Brilliant timing as always Ronald, I reckon he was just waiting for the smell of food before coming round"

Hermione got up from the table and gave the lanky ginger haired man a friendly hug, before they both took a seat back at the table, Harry lent half an ear to the pair chatting and catching up, Ron talked about the shop and Hermione brought him up to date with all the goings on at Hogwarts. He had to admit that he had missed them both terribly and it was a good feeling having them both here with him.

A loaf of bread, butter, knives, plates and condiments were placed on the table, followed by a large platter filled with crispy bacon and perfectly fried eggs, Ron's table manners were still shocking, if he was ever in a position to repeat this scenario with Narcissa present he would either need to have stern words with Ron, or just prepare his witch for the absolute worst.

"Anything new with you Harry?" he spoke, as usual, through a mouthful of food

Hermione gave him a pointed look and in his haste to swallow he found himself coughing and spluttering, the brunette thumped him firmly on the back, he thanked her, eyes streaming, to avoid the question a little longer Harry got up and fetched Ron a glass of water.

"Cheers mate, I needed that"

"No problem, How's the family, how's Ginny?"

"They are fine, Mum keeps hassling me to check in on you, make sure you're eating, you know, usual Mum stuff, no idea about Ginny, I think I heard Dad talking, she seemed to think it was for the best"

Harry felt a weight lift, he hadn't felt guilty per se, but it was nice to know she was moving on.

"Tell your Mum I'm eating just fine, I'm well looked after, although don't you make her think I'm not grateful that she cares"

"Ok, I'll get her off your case" Harry and Hermione shook their heads in unison, Ron knows nothing of tact

"Hurry up and finish Ron, I'm itching for a few rounds of Wizard's Chess, I've been practising"

"I admire your misplaced confidence, it will make victory all the sweeter"

"It's a good job I have some books to read and papers to mark, you two children will just have to keep the noise down" and with that she breezed past them and out of the room.

Ron and Harry couldn't help laughing together, it was just like the old days, Ron gave Harry a run down of all the latest Quidditch scores as they made their way to the living room. Hermione was already buried in a sizeable tome as the two men spilled into the room, only to be silenced by a brown eyed glare, guilty smiles mirrored on their faces.

The chessboard and pieces were retrieved from the sideboard, Ron had already picked his seat and moved the table into position. Harry realised quite early on that Narcissa was pretty dire when it came to Wizard's Chess, Ron was what muggles would refer to as a grand master, Harry threw in the towel after his fifth crushing defeat, he was finished off so swiftly, five games hardly seemed like anything.

"Yes, you won, no need to look so damn smug"

"You said you'd been practising"

"I should have said that I'd just been playing more"

Harry packed away the chess pieces and board, Ron leant back in the chair, linking his fingers and placing them behind his head, Harry scowled at him, he may feel like a bad loser, but there was such a thing as a bad winner.

"How are things going with that girl you were seeing?" Hermione appeared from behind her book.

"Not bad mate, just taking things slowly" unseen by Ron, Hermione gestured to Harry

"I'm seeing someone"

"Nice one mate, climb back on the broom, no point in dwelling on the past, is it anyone we know?"

"Her name is Narcissa" it took a lot of effort to keep his face neutral, he wondered how long it would take his friend to work it out

"Man, I don't think I could date a girl with the same name as Draco's mother, it's a bit close to home, still she's definitely a MILF but she birthed the ferret and that's a massive turn off"

Hermione's mouth was frozen in an 'O' Harry was at a complete loss, Ron's brain seemed to catch up with his mouth, the silence that followed was deafening.

"Shit, you're fucking Narcissa Malfoy aren't you?"

"It's Narcissa Black now" Hermione informed him in a barely audible squeak

Harry nodded slowly, Ron turned a brilliant shade of puce. The situation was explained to the hapless ginger, helped along by a few cheeky drinks, his initial shock turned to blokeish admiration fast enough to make anyone's head spin, Hermione could only manage to slowly shake her head at him, it had been a long time since they had experienced a 'vintage Ron moment' first hand. More than a little relieved to have both of his friends on side, the mood lightened in no time, aided by Harry's liquor cabinet. They reminisced about old times, raucous laughter spilled out from the room.

As it approached dinner time, Harry and Hermione begged Ron to stay, having promised to head home for dinner with the family, he politely declined, they all trooped down to the kitchen to see him off, after Ron's departure, the two remaining friends cooked a meal and decided to call it a night, parting with a hug before heading into their bedrooms, as the latches clicked into place, Grimmauld Place fell silent.